Australia -Dawn Princess - scooter questions ??

[grandmaR]

As my grandchildren get to about age 12 or 13 I take each one on a trip and after the first trip, the trip has been a cruise. I have been using a wheelchair in the airport since about 2008 as I have arthritis and breathing problems (COPD from asthma and scars on my lungs from pneumonia) which get worse as I get older. I can walk short distances, but not fast, and I can't stand (like in line) without pain. I have also used a cane that I can sit on but it isn't very comfortable.

 

I did a trip with my husband on RCI out of Baltimore, and they gave us a ship's wheelchair. This worked well, but Bob had to push. So the next trip which was Alaska on HAL, I rented a small 3 wheel scooter. This worked really well and my husband loved the scooter although I liked it better when he could prop the cabin door open for me.

 

The cruise left from Seattle and I rented from SpecialNeedsAtSea. They have a kiosk on the Seattle dock for HAL (and also in Ft. Lauderdale), and the rental was quite reasonable. ($200 for two weeks). We had a regular cabin veranda cabin but we moved the bed around a bit and I could come in and make a sharp left and park next to the bed. We had an extension cord so we could plug it in at night.

 

After we got back my husband insisted that I buy a scooter. We are going to take it on Carnival Pride to Bermuda and the Bahamas in November. We can drive to Baltimore. My scooter (a three wheel one that comes in four pieces and which I can take apart and put together myself) will fit easily into a car trunk with room left over.

 

My question is about my next cruise with a grandchild which will be on Dawn Princess in July 2012. My cabin on Princess is a regular obstructed view, and I am pretty sure that I can get the scooter through the door as it is narrow.

 

Should I take my scooter on the flight over and back, or should I rent one there?

 

Can I rent one there?

 

CareVacations says that they do not do Princess (at all). They indicated that they have scooters on ships for people to rent on some itin. but not as I said on Princess

 

SpecialNeeds did not know if they could rent me one in Perth(Freemantle), but said the cost would be $500.00 for 17 days if they could.

 

Obviously if I can't rent one, I will have to bring my own. Even in pieces all of the scooter will probably not in fit the overhead - I could put the battery there, but probably not the back end and seat. I called AA which would be the airline I would be using in the US and the guy didn't really seem to know what would happen.

 

I think the next part from LA to Sydney would be on Qantas and I looked at their website but did not understand it.

 

So what do you think? Does anyone have experience traveling to Australia with a scooter.

[katisdale]

I have not traveled to Australia (yet) but have seen CareVacation scooters on Princess so I would question that information. Perhaps they don't service ships in Australia? I travel with my scooter. This is what I would do going to Australia, I would fly with my own scooter. You can either check the scooter from your home airport all the way down under or do a gate check. I have a travelscoot that fits in a golf bag and I check mine all the way through (and worry the whole time that it will arrive) and then use the airport wheelchairs to get to the gates. Gate checking is also easy. Drive the scooter to the entrance of the plane and then it will be taken and stowed. You will need to leave enough time between flights for the scooter to be brought to the jetway. If you wait to be one of the last off (letting the grandchild go to the jetway and claim the scooter) it is usually waiting for you. I think the FAA has useful information on their website about how to fly with scooters.

[grandmaR]

I have not traveled to Australia (yet) but have seen CareVacation scooters on Princess so I would question that information. Perhaps they don't service ships in Australia? I travel with my scooter. This is what I would do going to Australia, I would fly with my own scooter. You can either check the scooter from your home airport all the way down under or do a gate check. I have a travelscoot that fits in a golf bag and I check mine all the way through (and worry the whole time that it will arrive) and then use the airport wheelchairs to get to the gates. Gate checking is also easy. Drive the scooter to the entrance of the plane and then it will be taken and stowed. You will need to leave enough time between flights for the scooter to be brought to the jetway. If you wait to be one of the last off (letting the grandchild go to the jetway and claim the scooter) it is usually waiting for you. I think the FAA has useful information on their website about how to fly with scooters.

 

I think that checking it all the way through would be good although I don't have a bag for it. I think it would be far easier to use airport wheelchairs. I'll look at the FAA site.

 

I think the information about the scooters not being on Princess was for Australia, as Princess themselves gave the two names as providers.

[kitty9]

Your problem will be having enough room in a regular cabin for the scooter. Depending on how the beds are configured, you might not have enough room to get it past the beds. Therefore, it could block access to the bathroom. Call the cruise line to see how the cabin is configured.

[cjm66]

We have a similar scooter - we have graduated from 3 to 4 wheels but it also pulls apart and fits in the boot. We travel with ours by plane - always QANTAS because they look after us and on cruises. Hard to advise without being sure of your itinerary so I will make some assumptions.

 

It seems likely that you are flying into Sydney and will then fly on to Perth where you will pick up Dawn Princess for a Northern Explorer cruise up and over to Sydney and then fly home. My advice is based on that itinerary.

 

We have no problem taking our scooter with us on QANTAS flights, domestic or international. It is booked through as special baggage and there is no charge. How you do this will depend on the airport arrangements but you will need to advise ther airline well ahead and turn up an additional half to one hour before the usual time to sort this out. The QANTAS web site info about carrying scooters etc is lengthy and legalistic but it basically boils down to Yes they will carry your scooter but you need to provide a lot of information - dimensions, battery type well ahead through TA or direct to QANTAS if you booked through them, basically as soon as you book.

 

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/disability-access-facilitation-plan/global/en#2.1

 

You will not find it easy to rent a scooter one way - Perth to Sydney. So you could rent one here in Sydney, fly with it ( I suggest QANTAS) to Perth and then cruise back with it to Sydney. If you decide to do this ask for more advice about booking taxis for transfers.

 

I checked with the company that sold us our scooters - very reliable - and they would rent a scooter - a GECKO for AUD$75 per week plus $90 delivery to your hotel and $90 pick up after the cruise. Their web site is :

 

http://www.southsidescooters.com.au/

 

We would not be without ours on a cruise. Our four wheeler will fit through a standard cabin door - Princess will not allow parking in corridors - check that you will have enough room inside to park it and also get it past the bed/s.

 

I cannot help with advice on internal domestic flights in US and would be a bit uncertain about taking our scooter on a two stage flight with a baggage transfer from domestic to international at LA.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Colleen

[grandmaR]

THank you VERY MUCH for the information.

 

I had a 3 wheel scooter on HAL and we moved the beds away from the door the width of the night table so that the scooter could park. (We put the night table under the desk kneehole) But we had the beds as double beds and the beds were fore and aft and not athwart. All the other cabins I have seen (I have not seen Princess cabins but they look similar) there is room between the beds if they are configured as twins and not as a double/queen because they are almost always athwart (side to side across the width of the ship) and thus perpendicular to the corridor.

[judyfssw]

It's late but you might want to try to get an accessible cabin. We will be bringing my husband's scooter when we fly to NZ and then home from Australia. Have had no problems with him riding his (take apart scooter) to the gate and then picking it up at each gate and take it to the next gate where the procedure is repeated. I've only checked it through one time and it took FOREVER to get it when we arrived. I'd take your own scooter.

[grandmaR]

I've emailed Southside. I really think since I will be traveling without another adult that even though my granddaughter is big for her age, that it would be easier to use the airline wheelchairs for the trip and just rent the scooter in Australia. That way I wouldn't have to wait for my scooter to get 'unpacked' at the end of the trip.